There’s a fly in your… What?
By Susan Knight | Schiphol Airport’s example of creative and successful problem-solving continues to provide valuable lessons decades later.
Written by Susan Knight | Seeking Veritas Columnist | Sankarsingh-Gonsalves Productions
What We Can Learn From Schiphol Airport’s Creative Problem-Solving:
Male readers will need to chime in on this, as it is not something I intend to personally investigate any time soon: have you ever visited a public restroom and noticed a fly in the urinal? As in a realistic-looking fly etched into the porcelain. The urinal fly, as it is called, has been around for decades and can be found in restroom urinals worldwide, so there’s a good chance you’ve encountered it at some point.
A very big concern for Schiphol Airport.
While spillage around a urinal might be less than desirable, it probably doesn’t seem like much of a concern in the grand scheme of things. However, when you have multiple public restrooms with thousands of men using the facilities every day, it doesn’t take long for it to become a very big concern.
This was the case at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in the 1990s. Searching for a solution to the problem, a manager in the airport’s cleaning department thought the image of a fly could be used to serve as an enticing target in the urinals. While an initial investment was obviously required for implementation, the airport saw a worthwhile return on that investment. It seems a sizeable number of men are indeed inclined to aim at such a target, which led to a substantial reduction in urinal spillage. This, in turn, led to a decrease in the airport’s cleaning and maintenance costs.
While many find the situation and its successful outcome amusing, it also provides some valuable takeaways for solving problems and dealing with life in general.
Experiment with novel approaches.
The Schiphol Airport decision-makers could have resigned themselves to the circumstances at hand, opting to continue with their usual cleaning procedures rather than attempt anything new. Instead, they were willing to experiment with a novel approach, and open to the possibility it just might make a difference (and it did).
Likewise, whenever we’re tempted to resign ourselves to circumstances with which we are not entirely satisfied, it’s worth taking a second look while striving to keep an open mind. Is the situation truly unchangeable, or is there an outdated mental script we’re adhering to that is keeping us stuck in an undesirable place? Have we convinced ourselves there is no possibility of change or improvement, when in fact things could potentially be quite different if we simply had the right knowledge and tools, combined with some effort?
Be open to considering how coming at the situation with a fresh perspective or exploring things with an entirely different approach might help.
Identify the actual problem you’re trying to solve.
Many people, if tasked with finding a viable solution to address the airport’s concerns, would turn their attention towards the cleaning aspect of the equation. They would try to come up with ways to improve the efficiency of the custodial team; or they would set out in search of the most innovative cleaning tools on the market. It’s noteworthy that the solution the airport implemented did not pertain directly to cleaning. This makes sense given they weren’t really dealing with a cleaning problem; the problem was the sequence of events leading to conditions that required more extensive cleaning.
How many times do we find ourselves devoting time and energy to symptoms and peripheral issues, instead of tackling the root cause leading to all those symptoms and issues? To find an effective solution, we first need to identify and understand the actual problem that we're dealing with. This requires slowing down and asking questions, before rushing in with a presumed solution.
Focus on the long-term impact of actions taken.
It’s quite possible some of the custodial team at the airport might have noticed an obvious improvement in the condition and cleanliness of the airport restrooms fairly quickly, while others may have found it difficult to discern any significant change at first. (The latter scenario is entirely plausible, as a subset of men reportedly ignore the fly and carry on as usual.) Perhaps some members of the team were initially undecided about whether any real progress had been made. Over the long term, however, it became undeniably clear that progress had been made and the situation had improved.
In our own lives, whether we’re taking steps to improve our health, pursuing a new interest, planning a career change, or addressing issues in a relationship, the early stages of the process can be tricky to navigate. It’s easy to start doubting ourselves when we don’t see immediate gains. We’re not sure if we’re making any progress, and we wonder if all the work we’re putting in is worth it.
Early wins are exciting and motivating, but for many endeavours, it takes time before our efforts yield meaningful results. This is why it’s so important to focus on the long-term impact of our actions, recognizing that in many areas of life, it is only over the long term that we can see and fully appreciate the payoff from time and effort invested.
Add some lightheartedness into the mix.
Schiphol Airport’s creativity and success in addressing their problem continues to be discussed decades later. Their story was mentioned in the bestselling book Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. It is widely referenced in the business world and the education sector for the many insights gleaned pertaining to economics, human psychology, and design. It’s hard to resist the fun, lighthearted nature of the story; people enjoy hearing about it and learning from it.
There are periods in life that can be dark, depressing, frustrating, and overwhelming — in short, anything but fun. Yet even in the most difficult and trying of situations, a fitting place can almost always be found for some lightheartedness, even if just a momentary, small touch of it. And sometimes, that little moment of lightheartedness can make a world of difference by easing the tension, alleviating the pain, and allowing a bit of light to shine through.
About the author: Susan Knight | SGP Featured Writer | Contact the author: @ http://skfreelance.com
Susan is certified health and wellness coach with a focus on personal growth and inner wellness. She was a regular contributor to Social Work Today Magazine and is a featured Health & Wellness Columnist for SGP.
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